1st Time and Scared

[mel5161]

Hi all,

First timer here. I will be taking my first cruise in May on the NCL Gem going to Florida and Bahamas. In light of the Anthem event I'm really frightened. I know this is not a usual occurrence but how rough can the seas get? I'm almost ready to cancel. Any input to alleviate my fears would be appreciated. Thanks!!

[Nic6318]

I guess it depends of what you are afraid of.

 

Just think that millions of people every year go on cruises and have a great vacation, some are hooked on cruising for the rest of their lives. The odds say that you will be one of those.

 

:):)

 

have a great cruise

[cb at sea]

Aw....stuff happens! Thankfully, the Anthem was a RARE event! That said...seas can be rough...it's the ocean and no one has control over it...except Mother Nature!

 

99% of the time, there are NO problems! Just go...have fun! Life is pretty much a crapshoot....whether on sea or land! No guarantees for anything!

[Clarea]

Hi all,

First timer here. I will be taking my first cruise in May on the NCL Gem going to Florida and Bahamas. In light of the Anthem event I'm really frightened. I know this is not a usual occurrence but how rough can the seas get? I'm almost ready to cancel. Any input to alleviate my fears would be appreciated. Thanks!!

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

Just remember that while it might have been an uncomfortable ride on Anthem, everything turned out OK. The ship handled an exceptionally bad storm and kept everyone safe.

[klfrodo]

The seas can get gut wrenching rough and very dangerous.

 

Now CC has become a therapy board.

[tomko2]

Try and put away your fears. I was very nervous before our first cruise as I suffer from vertigo. I was worried about so many things but SO GLAD IWENT AWAY. LOVED IT. It is like being in a floating hotel. Things can happen anywhere but life goes on. I now have over thirty cruises under my belt and as soon as I get off the ship I am looking forward to the next one. :)

P.S. I have not yet suffered from a vertigo attack on a cruise.

Edited February 15, 2016 by tomko2

[paul929207]

Nothing is completely safe.

 

Do you get in a car? Cross a street? Eat prepared food?

[cbr663]

It's the Atlantic Ocean. Seas can be rough. Wind can be high to extreme. Only you know how you feel and how you will react. I would suggest that you be realistic about a cruise - it is a moving ship on the ocean. The ship may very well list and sway.

 

As a first time cruiser, I don't know how much you pay attention to cruise sailings. Weather has to be quite extreme before a cruise ship will not sail.

[CowPrincess]

Hi all,

First timer here. I will be taking my first cruise in May on the NCL Gem going to Florida and Bahamas. In light of the Anthem event I'm really frightened. I know this is not a usual occurrence but how rough can the seas get? I'm almost ready to cancel. Any input to alleviate my fears would be appreciated. Thanks!!

 

Bad weather, bad seas, can happen pretty much any time, any place. The Anthem, its crew and its passengers all got back to port, right? So, that's good. No one can guarantee a completely smooth sailing, but the odds are definitely in your favour. Think about it -- dozens of cruise ships sail every day.

 

I had to fly the day after the Air India bombing in the 1980s. I understand your concern. But the Anthem was an anomaly, not a regularly-occurring event. You know what the media is like -- if that kind of thing happened regularly, there would not have been a nano-second's coverage of it. Seriously.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

In the past several years only one cruise ship has actually sunk (A Costa ship) and then most passengers escaped except for some very unfortuante few. Cruise ships are worth millions and millions of dollars. Captains will do everything in their power to avoid a mishap costing the cruise line humongous sums of money, terrible public relations and endless potential for law suits. The captain of the Costa ship was even sentenced to prison for his mistake.

 

Just remember those facts if you feel anxious about your cruise.

[SewMuch]

My suggestion: Go on YouTube and type in NCL Gem. Watch tours of the ship, made by happy, excited people having a great time. That will get you excited about your cruise again! Any time scary thoughts try to sneak into your head, replay those videos.

[GUT2407]

The seas can get gut wrenching rough and very dangerous.

 

Now CC has become a therapy board.

 

 

 

Agree with that. We've had some real rough ones.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Hi all,

 

First timer here. I will be taking my first cruise in May on the NCL Gem going to Florida and Bahamas. In light of the Anthem event I'm really frightened. I know this is not a usual occurrence but how rough can the seas get? I'm almost ready to cancel. Any input to alleviate my fears would be appreciated. Thanks!!

 

 

It's an ocean. Anyone who responds that all will DEFINITELY be okay, is ridiculous. That said, recognize that the deck and engineering officers on you me cruise ship are consummate professionals with many many years of experience. They will do the safe thing even in the most challenging of conditions.

[SPacificbound]

Driving, or riding in a car is much more dangerous than a cruise or a flight.

 

Mother Nature can be wildly ferocious at times. Some of the best nights of sleep I have ever gotten have been on a ship in rough seas.

[mel5161]

Hey thanks everyone for the quick responses. Just wanted to be well informed. I have been checking out vids on youtube and that has gotten me excited to go. So guess it's full speed ahead! Thanks again.

[mel5161]

The seas can get gut wrenching rough and very dangerous.

 

Now CC has become a therapy board.

 

 

 

Not looking for some therapy, just some well informed replies, which yours was not. Thanks for the harsh and useless reply.

[Keith1010]

What happened is truly an exemption.

 

Wishing you a great cruise.

 

Keith

[Krazy Kruizers]

Flying on a plane is more dangerous than sailing on a ship. JMO

Glad you are still going.

[Bankshot]

Most of the time you won't know the ship is underway. Smooth sailing applies here especially to the Bahamas. After this cruise you'll understand just what tremendous seas are needed to adversely affect a 100+ ton ship. If you want to be concerned about something just ask yourself how this steel ship is able to float like a bar of Ivory soap? HA! Have a fun trip and many more after that.

[marshhawk]

After the Anthem, I can understand the queazies. When I took my first cruise, I was afraid I would be surrounded by well dressed, classy snobs, and that was my fear. Nothing to fear at all I found out. Your fear is justifiable due to the news media, mine was from ignorance, but we never know until we go. And now, I cant cruise enough, and I haven't met a snob yet. Oh, I've had rough seas, but it turns out, I love that too.

[sfaaa]

If you are really this afraid, then you should cancel and stick to land vacation. There is no reason to force the issue.

[5sonz]

I will also be taking a first cruise in Nov. First time posting.

Ironically, when we decided to plan and book, the news media could talk of little else but the Anthem. So it was a bit unsettling.

I have found that the majority of the responders want to be helpful, ignore the others.

Having said that, our cruise is booked for our 30th anniversary..

My worries now are the fact that it is a whole new experience and everything about it is unknown to me.

But I have not met anyone who did not absolutely love their cruise experience.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[mel5161]

Thanks so much everyone for the great responses. I won't cancel. My cruise is in my May and by then I'm sure I will have gotten over myself! I'll welcome any advice for first timers. I'll be sailing on May 7 from NYC to Florida and Bahamas on the Gem.

[Suze10860]

If you are really this afraid, then you should cancel and stick to land vacation. There is no reason to force the issue.

 

No. No. No. No. No.

 

I'm always afraid before I fly. It's just downright scary to me. Some people might even think it's an issue.

 

But cancel because of it? No way. No how. No deal.

 

When my kids were young, we did fly once in a while as a family, and I made darn sure that they in no way picked up on my owner personal issues. I'm now the proud mama of 2 young adults who have both flown cross country multiple times, to many other places in the US, and also to Europe. No problem at all. They're wonderful travelers.

 

Do not let what is really an unfounded fear keep you from living life to the fullest.

[OCruisers]

Glad you're still going! Enjoy your cruise! :)